The regular service of trains on this route is by Swiss IR services (express trains with no restaurant cars), but the international EC trains between Geneve and Milano or Venezia also come this way.
They're faster and have restaurants, but are less frequent and that speed tends to be available at a higher price.
When travelling between most cities by train there is only one logical option, though on other journeys there is a choice between different trains or alternative routes. If different options are available you can use the info to decide which is best for you.
2hr 20 min - 2hr 32min
Daily
2 x trains per hour
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Trainline ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option for: Comparing different train services; Booking international journeys with connections; Travelling between the UK to destinations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - and for international travellers who don't reside in western Europe.
Exclusive for New Customers: Receive a 10% discount by using the code 24NOV on any purchase with a maximum total price of £100, until 28 November 2024 (11:59 pm CET). Limit one coupon per qualifying booking. Cannot be combined, transferred or exchanged.
Omio is an online ticket agency which offers tickets for rail journeys in France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain.
The three key advantages of using Omio are
The disadvantage of booking with Omio is that it often adds a booking fee to the final price; therefore when it does so without offering a price advantage, SMTJ doesn't tend to offer Omio as a booking option.
SBB is the main national rail operator in Switzerland, but tickets for journeys by the other significant operators including BLS and SOB can be be booked on the SBB website.
SBB also sells tickets for journeys to many destinations which involve a combination of SBB trains and services provided by the many independent operators who serve the Alpine resort towns.
However, if you will be making a long-distance return day trip, look out for he possibility of SaverDay passes being cheaper than tickets.
Though if you download the SBB app, booking tickets on SBB's mobile services can be simper than using the website.
Also watch out for the fact that booking international tickets can be comparatively quirky.
Happy Rail is a Netherlands rail ticket agency which sells tickets for both national and international journeys within a range of countries including Belgium France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland.
HappyRail doesn't charge booking fees in the conventional sense, but if you're not Dutch you can expect to pay additional transaction fees, which will be added to the total cost.
That's because the most common form of online payment used in The Netherlands is 'iDEAL' and HappyRail doesn't charge a transaction fee for 'iDEAL' payments, but only Dutch residents can sign up to 'iDEAL'.
Other forms of payment include Visa debit cards will incur a fee.
Final Destination: Brig
Connect at Brig for MGB trains to Morel, Betten, Andermatt, Oberwald and Disentis/Muster.
All trains also call at: Sion
The first train to leave in each hour is usually faster because it makes fewer station calls, but on Monday-Friday between 16:00 and 18:15, all the departures make these fewer station calls.
Unlike the faster, but much less frequent EC trains, these trains on IR route 90 commence their journeys at Geneve-Aeroport station.
It takes the trains around 5 mins to travel from there to the main station in Geneve before they then head off to Brig.
So these trains usually depart from the main station in Geneve 10 mins after they have departed from Geneve-Aeroport.
Double-deck trains now operate many of the departures on this route.
This north to south route through Switzerland tends to be eclipsed by other routes through the Alps, but the scenery is very pleasant for virtually the entire trip!
After Lausanne there are some great views over Lake Geneva; from the right hand side of the train, when facing the direction of travel.
So if they're available, a forward facing window seat on the right will provide the optimum views on this journey.
Then between Sion and Visp, the train threads through valleys lined with vineyards...
...the video was filmed from a train travelling in the opposite direction, but it gives a great idea of what to expect on this journey.
Online bookings open: up to six months ahead of the travel date
Book early and save: Yes, if you book Supersaver tickets.
You may need to search through the departures to find these 'Supersaver' tickets using the ‘earlier’ and ‘later’ buttons.
Though the Supersaver tickets are much more likely to be available on these IR trains, than the alternative service of EC trains.
Seat reservations are not available on these IR trains, but if the departure times suit, they can be booked on those EC trains.
If you will be making a day trip to Brig from Geneva, be open to the possibility that Saver Day Passes may be a cheaper option than booking return tickets
Travelling with a rail pass:
Rail pass users can jump on any train, without having to make reservations, but they also applies to those faster EC trains on this route.
2hr 1 min (EC train)
Daily
3 x trains per day
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Trainline ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option for: Comparing different train services; Booking international journeys with connections; Travelling between the UK to destinations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - and for international travellers who don't reside in western Europe.
Exclusive for New Customers: Receive a 10% discount by using the code 24NOV on any purchase with a maximum total price of £100, until 28 November 2024 (11:59 pm CET). Limit one coupon per qualifying booking. Cannot be combined, transferred or exchanged.
Omio is an online ticket agency which offers tickets for rail journeys in France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain.
The three key advantages of using Omio are
The disadvantage of booking with Omio is that it often adds a booking fee to the final price; therefore when it does so without offering a price advantage, SMTJ doesn't tend to offer Omio as a booking option.
SBB is the main national rail operator in Switzerland, but tickets for journeys by the other significant operators including BLS and SOB can be be booked on the SBB website.
SBB also sells tickets for journeys to many destinations which involve a combination of SBB trains and services provided by the many independent operators who serve the Alpine resort towns.
However, if you will be making a long-distance return day trip, look out for he possibility of SaverDay passes being cheaper than tickets.
Though if you download the SBB app, booking tickets on SBB's mobile services can be simper than using the website.
Also watch out for the fact that booking international tickets can be comparatively quirky.
Happy Rail is a Netherlands rail ticket agency which sells tickets for both national and international journeys within a range of countries including Belgium France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland.
HappyRail doesn't charge booking fees in the conventional sense, but if you're not Dutch you can expect to pay additional transaction fees, which will be added to the total cost.
That's because the most common form of online payment used in The Netherlands is 'iDEAL' and HappyRail doesn't charge a transaction fee for 'iDEAL' payments, but only Dutch residents can sign up to 'iDEAL'.
Other forms of payment include Visa debit cards will incur a fee.
When taking the train from Geneva to Brig, depending on the hour of your departure, you can choose between travelling by these faster EC trains, or the more regular service of IR trains.
Also those IR trains commence their journeys in the station at Geneve-Aeroport, but these EC trains don't use that station.
Though unlike those IR services, seats can be reserved on these EC trains and they also have restaurant cars.
Final Destination: Milano or Venezia
Connect at Brig for MGB trains to Oberwald; Andermatt and Disentis/Muster
All trains also call at: Sion
These EC trains take the same route as the IR trains.
Online bookings open: up to six months ahead of the travel date
Book early and save: Yes, if you book Supersaver tickets.
You may need to search through the departures to find these 'Supersaver' tickets using the ‘earlier’ and ‘later’ buttons.
In four hours during the day these EC trains provide an additional option to the regular service of IR train, though the Supersaver tickets are much more likely to be available on the alternative IR trains.
Though if you want the peace of mind of a reserved seat, you can make reservations for these EC trains, but not on the IR trains; though seats will almost certainly be available on those IR trains.
Rail Pass Users:
If you will be travelling this route with a rail pass you don't have pay a reservation fee/supplement for these journeys within Switzerland by EC train.
So if the departure times suit it can be worth targeting these faster trains, though they tend to be busier than the IR trains
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